This invention relates to musical instruments of the drum or percussion type, and more specifically, relates to musical drums which are normally struck by the fingers or palm of the hand. Such drums are of the conga and bongo types.
Drum structures normally include a cylindrical shell or drum cylinder. A head, generally made of animal skin or synthetic substitute, tautly covers at least one end of the drum cylinder. Tensioning devices are utilized to keep the head in place and to adjust the tension of the head. Very often the drum cylinder will be opened at two ends. This second end will also be covered by a head held in place by tensioning devices or will be left open.
The structure and design of an individual drum varies as a function of its intended purpose and process of its manufacture. Very early drums were made from hollow logs and were used as signaling devices while more modern drums have been made as musical instruments. It is desirable that a drum intended for musical purposes have pleasing tone qualities and be adjustable as to pitch.
Previously, drums were designed to each produce basically a single sound or narrow range of sounds. As such, the drum shell or cylinder was shaped to effect the acoustic production of sound in response to a striking of the drum head. Invariably, these drums have each had a single-surfaced, planer head. Drum tone was determined by the acoustical porperties of the drum shell and head tension. Drum shell shape, size and material of construction also affected the tone qualities as well as influenced the manner in which the drum was to be played.
Some drums are intended to be played with sticks, while others are to be played with mallets, hammers or brushes, and even others are to be played with the fingers and palm of the hand.
As drums are constructed with a specific musical tone or frequency range in mind, any one given musical drum possesses, obviously, a rather limited tone spectrum.
It is an object of this invention to provide a musical percussion instrument of the drum type which is intended to be played primarily with the fingers and palm of the hand having extended tonal qualities over an extended frequency range.
A second object of this invention is to provide such a drum with a plurality of percussion chambers, these chambers contributing to a different tone or frequency range of sounds when the head above them is struck.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a drum with multiple contiguous percussion chambers formed as part of a single continuous housing or shell.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a drum with a single membrane head, this head defining a plurality of complex distinct surfaces.
An even further object of this invention is to provide such a drum head with a dampening point between at least two different percussion chambers, which percussion chambers each define a distinct drum function.